Iraq Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Iraq.
Iraq's healthcare network mixes public hospitals, private clinics, and international-grade centres concentrated in Baghdad and Erbil.
Baghdad's Ibn Sina Hospital and Erbil's Rojhalat Hospital deliver international-level care with English-speaking teams. Payment is expected up front.
Pharmacies stocked with everyday drugs sit in every downtown. Bring prescription meds in original boxes plus a doctor's letter.
Travel insurance is strongly advised and often a prerequisite for private-hospital admission.
- ✓ Pack a small first-aid kit: anti-diarrhoea tablets and rehydration salts are worth their weight.
- ✓ Drink only bottled or properly filtered water throughout Iraq
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpocketing in crowded markets and public transport
Erratic driving, poor road conditions, and limited traffic enforcement
Summer temperatures exceeding 45°C (113°F) in central and southern Iraq
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Men in uniform may demand your passport and cash, insisting they need to check for counterfeit notes.
Street money changers use sleight of hand or give old, worthless currency
Guides quote one price then demand significantly more mid-tour
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Carry passport copies separate from originals
- • Register with your embassy upon arrival in Iraq
- • Pre-book airport transfers through your hotel in Iraq
- • Avoid shared taxis. Use registered taxi companies with meters
- • Never photograph military personnel, government buildings, or checkpoints
- • Ask permission before photographing people in markets or religious sites
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Women can travel alone if they read the cultural signals and plan each step.
- → Choose loose clothes that cover arms and legs. Pack a headscarf for shrines and mosques.
- → Use family sections in restaurants and ask hotels for women-only floors when they have them.
Homosexuality carries no explicit criminal charge yet faces fierce social disapproval, and legal protections are absent.
- → Book single rooms even when traveling as couple
- → Avoid discussing sexual orientation with locals
- → Stay in international chain hotels in Erbil or Baghdad's secure zones
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Insurance is important: medical help thins out beyond the main cities and evacuation can become necessary.
Ready to plan your trip to Iraq?
Now that you've got the research covered, here's where to go next.